Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones

Interview with C3PO's Anthony Daniels

Review by By Clint Morris

As we get older, most of us tend to mature, mellow out, and in public places appear relaxed and laid back. In short, we're being moulded into atypical adults. No matter what your age, no matter what your I.Q, this crap goes out the door when the words 'Star Wars' scroll across the movie screen and you ascend from your chair, impatiently clapping and shouting with merriment. Years of 'appropriate behaviour' training have just been proven a waste in one celebrated moment.

As a child of the 70's, I too treasured Star Wars in all its glory. I had the toys, I had the sheet covers, I had the pillowcases, I had the empty drink can… and yep, I had the homemade Han Solo pistol. Director George Lucas has created a worldwide phenomenon, and in turn made himself a pretty penny.

But then it was over.

1983 was here and the last Star Wars movie had been re-spooled back into its freight case and the devotees of all things 'Wars' would never be the same again. Or would we?

1997. I'm sitting there restlessly awaiting those magical words 'Lucasfilm' before the main credits - and as the Goosebumps ride up my arms, my Adams apple roar gives way and I'm reliving some of that magic I felt when I was the youngster gobbling away popcorn and drinking soda at those many trilogy triples.

But besides that initial buzz of watching a new Star Wars movie, The Phantom Menace ultimately proved to be an otherwise ho-hum addition to the series, and a bad start for this new Prequel series. Episode 2. Is it any good? Should I bring a throat lozenge?

And baby, all I can say is "Oh yeah! The Force is Back!"

Set ten years after the events of Phantom, Clones has Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) a prime 20, a young man of superior skills and even higher ambitions, chafing under the stern tutelage of his mentor, Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor), and daring to risk his status in the Jedi Order.

This order, naturally, forbids romantic attachments, and by pursuing a reckless passion for Senator Padme Amidala (Natalie Portman) Skywalker's only making trouble. I don't know about you, but I like getting into a Star Wars movie fresh, knowing very little abou it and for that reason I'll stop there - except to say that by film's end we will have greater understanding of why and how Anakin becomes Lord Vader, how stormtroopers originated and why wise-old Yoda is still called the finest Jedi master of all time.

It's already pretty clear that George Lucas's new prequel trilogy is infinitely dissimilar to the original three films. For a start, these films revel in their use of visual and CGI effects (even Yoda is CGI this time - works for some moments, not for others) in comparison to the relatively low effects budget of the original trilogy, and the script, while appreciably better than the previous chapter, is still - for some part - bogged down in political nonsense (Trade Federation this, Republic that).

Finally, the large supporting cast of Australian actors (ranging from Jack Thompson to Joel Edgerton and Jay Laga'aia) provokes more humour than the intended immerse.

In essence though, Attack of the Clones is light years ahead of its predecessor and a return to the fun Saturday matinee feel that the original films possessed. There's a bunch of surprises, and a good mix of action, laughs, romance, and suspense.

Yoda kicks butt, Jango Fett works a treat and Hayden Christensen is surprisingly influential as the future Darth Vader. Lucas, while overworking the effects crew, has also come up with some dazzling backdrops - which complete the extravagant piece. There's essentially an hour and a half of brilliant Star Wars action in this, with the rest of the duration the only uneventful downtime.

Aficionados are calling this The Empire Strikes Back of the prequel trilogy. Whether it is or not is still to be determined. But for the moment we've got a return to form for Lucas, and a highly enjoyable, somewhat stand-alone chapter in one of the most beloved science-fiction series ever.

4 out of 5

Star Wars Episode II : Attack of the Clones
Australian release: Thursday 16th May
Cast: Hayden Christensen, Natalie Portman, Ewan McGregor, Samuel L.Jackson, Frank Oz, Ian McDiarmid, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, Christopher Lee, Temuera Morrison, Ahmed Best.
Director: George Lucas.
Website: Click here

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